“It’s abuse,” Mrs. Long added. “I reported it to the sheriff. I told him that Madison told me that she heard the men all spank the women and won’t allow them to do anything without their permission. I wanted the sheriff to investigate and he refused. He told me to stop making up stories. So rude.”
“He’s so incompetent,” Mrs. Randall said.
Good for the sheriff. She thought of the cop from last night. He’d actually been nice. And concerned for her. As they changed their topic to some woman who was having an affair with her best friend’s husband, Marisol’s mind wandered to what the women had said about Sanctuary Ranch. She didn’t believe that any of those women were abused. They were all so happy and sweet. She knew what it was like to be stuck. To be scared.
Those women seemed secure and healthy.
And Linc definitely didn’t strike her as the sort of man to hurt a woman. No, she dismissed those accusations and her mind instead turned to the news report she’d just seen. It reminded her that even though she might have some more time to plan, she still needed a way out of here.
For good.
6
Marisol grabbed some food from the kitchen and moved quickly up to her bedroom. The house was quiet and her aunt’s vehicle wasn’t in the garage, but that still didn’t make her feel any happier. She was exhausted.
At least tomorrow was going to be a bit quieter with so many people at the wedding.
She opened her door cautiously, part of her expecting to see Tiger lounging on her bed. It was empty. Breathing out a sigh of relief, she walked in, put her food down then locked the door and pulled her dresser across it for good luck. By the time she’d done that, she was feeling sweaty and slightly light headed.
Shoot.
She didn’t know if she was just tired or her blood sugar was low again. Honestly, sometimes it felt like she could never rest. It was a constant worry in the back of her head. Trying to figure out what she’d eaten that day. What her symptoms meant, if anything.
She just wanted to be carefree. To have nothing to worry about. It wasn’t possible, of course. Not with her life.
But after checking her blood sugar, she was pleased to see it was all right. Must just be tired. After a shower and dinner, which consisted of a peanut butter sandwich and some yogurt, she grabbed her snuggly and Princess Nana, her doll, from the closet. As she rubbed her snuggly against her nose, her thumb found its way into her mouth and she just lay on the bed, trying calm herself.
This was the closest she ever got to being able to relax and let things go. She never fully let her Little side out. She didn’t feel like she had a safe space to do so. There was no way she wanted her aunt discovering her. So she usually just lost herself in the stories she read.
But there were times, like now, when she just needed the extra comfort. If she closed her eyes, she could almost feel a man curling up around her, holding her tight, telling her that everything would be okay.
Daddy will take care of you, Little girl. You don’t have to ever worry while you’re in Daddy’s arms.
Her imaginary Daddy was usually faceless so she was startled to realize that tonight he had a face. Linc smiled down at her, crooning to her, comforting her.
He gave her definite Daddy vibes. She could picture him taking care of her if she stubbed her toe, being gentle and caring. But also stern when he needed to be. She wondered what it would be like to be taken over his knee and spanked. She’d had a bit of a spanking fetish for years. Even though she’d never once been spanked. Her aunt preferred to verbally abuse her. Or lock her in her room. That was usually her go-to when Marisol was a child. Once she’d locked Marisol in her room all day. She’d had a seizure and knocked herself out. By the time she’d been found, she was nearly in a diabetic coma. She spent a week in the hospital.
Her aunt had stopped locking her up after that.
She started sucking on her thumb harder as she felt her anxiety grow. She wished her snuggly was big enough to wrap around her.
She hugged Princess Nana tight. Thank God, Tiger hadn’t found her. Harry had won Princess Nana for her at the fair. That was the only fair she’d ever been to. Her aunt had tried to make her leave the doll behind when they’d left Harry. But Marisol had managed to sneak it into her bag. Eventually, Rosalind forgot where the doll came from.
Her phone beeped then and she closed her eyes. Seemed reality was hell-bent on interrupting her me time. Some people took baths, others got their nails or hair done.
She sucked her thumb and pretended she had a Daddy who cared. A Daddy who wanted a big Little girl. Like the ones in CJ Bennett’s books. That’s what she wanted.
The phone beeped again. She sighed and heaved herself out of bed. She felt so heavy-limbed. As though she was moving through quicksand. A yawn caught her by surprise. She wished she could watch some mindless TV until she fell asleep. But that would involve going downstairs. And she didn’t want to risk seeing her aunt. Or falling asleep on the couch.
She could read, but she’d finished the paperback she had already. She needed to go to the secondhand bookstore and get some more, since her eReader was gone. But she hadn’t had time to get there today.
Maybe she should read one of the books she already owned. That could be fun, like returning to see old friends. Grabbing her phone, she rested back against the headboard. Only a few people had her number and so she was expecting it to be from her aunt or someone at the spa.
She nearly fell over in shock as she saw the name pop up.
Sexy Cowboy.
She let out a shocked laugh. That’s what he’d typed his contact in as? She rolled her eyes as she eagerly opened his message.
Hi, Mari-girl, just checking to make sure you got home safe. What are you having for dinner?
Oh. That was sweet. She’d never had anyone check in on her. Sure, her aunt didn’t like her out late, but that was a control thing. Not because she actually cared.
Hello, sexy cowboy.
Okay, she sent that before thinking it through.
Why, Mari-girl, thank you for the compliment. *blushes*
She grinned. He was so silly.
I had a sandwich for dinner. You?
No veggies? Tut-tut. That’s naughty. I had pot roast with all the trimmings. I even ate the beans.
Ick. Beans. I like most veggie. But even if I could cook, there’s not much point for just me.
Your aunt isn’t home?
She hesitated before replying. Was it wise to tell him that she was here alone? But she had never once gotten a vibe from him that he might hurt her.
No. Don’t know where she is.
You’ve always lived with her?
Since I was four when my mama died.
Oh baby girl, I’m so sorry.
Tears reached her eyes. Jeez, she felt like she was on the edge of an emotional breakdown and one push would send her over.
It was a long time ago but thank you.
I still miss my nana. She raised me. Taught me all those old-fashioned values.
She sounds like a wonderful person.
She was.
This was different, she’d never had a friend she could text. Suddenly, her phone rang in her hand. His name popped up.
“Hello,” she said shyly.
“My fingers were getting sore. Not used to all this texting,” he joked.
“I was just thinking the same thing.”